Author's Note: A real emotional scene. Sad to write, but the next scene will be more eventful than thus one. And happier…Anyhow, please review! Thank you all so much for reading and giving me feedback! ^^
Act 2, Scene 2
Exterior-Campsite-Morning
(It is about thirty minutes after Irwin's death, and nobody's said anything yet. All lie in silence, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just happened. Richard stands to the side, about fifteen feet away from Mellish and Upham, alone, smoking, pained. Upham breaks from Mellish's embrace without a word of warning and kneels down next to Irwin's still, lifeless body. His voice trembles as he tries to search for the words. Mellish, ten feet away, watches, but he doesn't say anything.)
Upham: Wade, I—I'm sorry---I should have—if I'd--- (Upham breaks off, unable to continue. He swallows, and Mellish turns away, pressing a hand to his face.)
(The words begin to flow from Upham's mouth in no particular order, apologies, regrets, things he should have said, even, all jumbled and grieving. Bitter tears no longer able to be held back trail down his cheeks and he kneels down, pressing his fingers into the wet soil near his friend's body.
Richard silently takes the head of a metal shovel out of his pack, attaches it to a stick, and begins to dig a grave for Irwin. Mellish watches and closes his eyes for a moment, not yet joining him. Upham doesn't seem to notice as he gently lifts Irwin's dogtags from his neck. They jingle lightly as he puts them around his own neck.
He begins to move through the medic's pockets next, retrieving a few trinkets and a folded letter. He doesn't read it, only puts it in his breast pocket. He slowly lifts Irwin's medic bag off of his narrow, limp shoulders, putting it over his own shoulder. Upham stares for a long moment, anguished. Mellish joins Richard in the digging of Irwin's grave.)
Upham: (Setting his hand on Irwin's arm) Goodbye, Wade, I…I won't forget you, wherever it is that you are, I…never will…
(Upham sniffs, wiping his eyes, and straightens his shoulders, trying to be brave. He reflects on Irwin's last words to him and quietly closes his eyes, slowly walking to a tree and pressing his face against the rough bark. Richard and Mellish look up from where they dig, pausing for a moment.
Upham's face is streaked with tears, his eyes red, his thin frame slumped against the tree. The medic's bag seems much to heavy for him, as if the ten pounds of the materials within is more than he can carry.
It seems for a long time that the weight of the world is on his narrow shoulders, intending to bear down on them as hard as it can even though they're about to fracture, about to fold under. He can't hold his head up any more, he's lost his confidante, his one true friend on the squadron—and has, without realizing it, given up.
Upham puts together his own shovel and starts digging. Irwin's body is lowered into the grave and by the time they're done with his makeshift funeral it's dark. Nobody eats. They just sit around the campfire afterwards. Nobody talks. Mellish gets up, leaving Richard and Upham. Richard starts to speak.)
Richard: Upham. I'm sorry about Wade—
Upham: (Shakily) No you're not. No, you're not, Reiben. (He gets up. Richard narrows his eyes.)
Richard: What, you think I wanted him to die, Upham?!
Upham: (His voice rising, then breaking. His face is twisted in pain, in desperation.) You're the reason he died, Reiben! You knew he was dying. You forced him so far, why couldn't you just let him rest?! He was as white as a sheet, his liver was failing! You knew he was in pain, he cried out in his sleep! I know you heard, it, Reiben, I know you heard it!
Richard: (In a nasal snarl.) I had no other fucking choice! We had to find the others, Upham! What were we supposed to do, sit in a burning town and hope that Miller would come find us while we choked our fucking lungs out? While Mellish could be at some shithole like the holocaust being beaten to death?
Upham: You could have waited, you could have waited! Didn't he matter to you? Or was his pain unimportant, like mine and Mellish's and everyone elses?! Because all you care about is Richard! You couldn't give a damn what happened to any of us! The only reason why you even did anything was to save yourself! (He's hysterical. Richard gets up, clenching his hands into fists. Upham looks about ready to strike him.)
Richard: If you knew he was dying why didn't you say something?!
(Upham falls silent. Richard stands there, wordless, watching as he gets up, collapsing against a tree with his back to him and pressing his knees into his chest, quietly crying into them. Richard seems to have been struck by a surge of guilt not only from the argument but from everything leading up to it. His voice rises in a yell.)
Richard: God damn it!
End scene 2, Fade to black.
